James Vandevender sued Minnesota prison officials in 2018 after another prisoner attacked him using a wooden post from a prison shop. He lost his case.Shelby Tauber for Business InsiderOver the past decade, Minnesota's prisons have experienced officer assaults, lockdowns, and chronic staffing shortages. They have faced allegations of substandard medical care, inhumane living conditions, sexual abuse by guards, and retaliation against prison employees who have sounded the alarm.